- Anshika Shrivastava
Since the introduction of technology to the world, it has become an essential part of our daily lives. Technological advancements are necessary in order to be in pace with the other countries. Even when one is not using it, he is connected to it somehow. Modern technology has made our life easier, better and faster be it computers, smartphones, smartwatches or automatic cars. You don’t have to go and search in dictionaries or books you are just one click away from getting the meaning of any word or useful information. Who isn’t familiar with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Twitter? These platforms have become a basic part of our daily lives. We are connected to each other even if we aren’t physically beside each other, a call, text or voice note is what it all takes to communicate to a person even if he/she is miles away. As we say everything comes with its pros and cons so do these latest technological advancements. People now put their personal information on social networking sites not knowing that they are sharing their sensitive information with others which can be misused even after deletion this data can be accessed or saved. Simply upload the details of your activity like when or where you are travelling/checking in will let the intruder know that you are not home giving him an opportunity to break in and steal. Social media platforms work as entry points for malware. Many emails and download links contain hidden malware a click is enough to get it inside your system without your consent and knowledge. Attackers use various ways to get the users’ sensitive data, Phishing attack is one of the cyber security attacks where the attackers send messages and emails or create networking sites which appear to be authentic and once you login through your credentials they get the access to your personal information.
Cyber security plays an important role in keeping your information safe and trusted. There are certain cyber security techniques to make sure your data isn’t being leaked and misused. The user and password idea is one way of locking your data or information with a strong username and password. Data Encryption is another process to secure your data this process converts your easy and readable information into another text called cipher text which isn’t readable and is protected. It is impossible to understand it unless you have its decryption key and password. Anti-virus software is very necessary if you want to protect your device or system it is developed to detect, prevent and remove viruses and worms present in your system it not only prevents the entry of new viruses but it also removes the existing viruses before installation of anti-virus software. Malware scanners as its name suggests scans malicious documents and files in your system. Fireball is a network security scanner A firewall is a network security device that detects transmissions and determines whether specific traffic should be allowed or blocked given a set of security rules. It can be a software, hardware or it can be both.
Day by day technology is changing and becoming newer, faster and smarter. Constant technological advancement requires a simultaneous shift in cyber security trends. All businesses whether small or large and even the government now are relying on these technologies as they make things easier and faster for them so the cyber security is the focus point the central objective of cyber security is to protect data from different cyber abuse and unauthorized access. There are a few major trends that are affecting cyber security such as Cloud Threats, Mobile Networks, APT’s and Targeted attacks, Web Servers, AI Integration etc. With more and more businesses moving to the cloud, security measures must be constantly checked and maintained to prevent data leaks. As the number of cloud-based apps rises, policy controls for web applications and cloud services will need to develop to prevent the loss of sensitive data. Despite the fact that cloud services are building their own models, security concerns continue to be raised. Although the cloud offers numerous advantages, it is important to remember that as the cloud evolves, so do its security issues[1]. AI delivers threat intelligence by evaluating huge amounts of risk data from structured and unstructured resources, lowering the time it takes for the security organization to create crucial decisions and respond to the threat. There is always a threat of data-stealing on web applications. Attackers hack the sites and disrupt them with malicious code, attackers have easier access over the web servers one must be cautious while using web applications he should always use web servers and web applications through a safer and trusted browser. It is now common to have your personal information stored in your mobiles like photos, messages and financial transactions information which possesses threats to individuals. Mobile networks are at greater risks to these threats thus in the event that they have security concerns, extreme caution must be exercised. An Advanced Persistent Threat and Targeted attacks are the attacks which can be carried out by a number of intruders it is more than just a standard web application attack and they have a long-term network presence in order to extract highly sensitive data. The targets of these attackers are not random, their targets are well researched e.g. government authorities, businesses, political groups. The offenders are usually groups of expert cyber criminals having strong financial backing. Attackers modify their methods and use vague, ambiguous techniques to intrude. In order to prevent future threats, we must grow and upgrade our security approaches.
Attackers will find their way to intrude our privacy if we don’t pay extra attention to keeping our data or information safe so we must comply with Cyber Ethics. Cyber ethics refers to the set of rules one must follow to keep the cyber space safe and intruder free. If we practice cyber ethics we reduce the chances of cyber crimes. Do not impersonate others online or create fake profiles or accounts. Make yourself and your children aware of copyright policies this will make them stop downloading stuff that involves copyright infringement. Cyber bullying is another major existing problem and children are the primary targets. Make children aware of the fraudulent messages avoid opening and reading messages from cyber bullies. Don’t try to infect other people's computers with malware and cause them to malfunction. Never share your OTP, PIN and Bank details or leave your device unlocked containing your personal information.
Nothing will stop us from accessing the digital world provided that we make the best use of it and avoid causing harm to others. One must be responsible and watchful of one’s cyber security. Learn from the past experiences/attacks and register your cyber-crime complaint[2] in case of any privacy breach or fraud.
Anshika Shrivastava is a second year student at SVKM's Pravin Gandhi College of Law, Mumbai.
(shrivastavaanshika2000@gmail.com)
[1] http://ignited.in//J/JASRAE/4/16/. [2] National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal -https://cybercrime.gov.in/Webform/Helpline.aspx.